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Exposure to anxiolytic drugs during the third week of gestation in the rat leaves a lasting imprint on the organism. Functionally, animals exposed prenatally to diazepam (Valium) demonstrate alterations in arousal-attention and stress-related functions. Neural systems underlying these functions are also influenced by the early exposure. The effects of early diazepam exposure are related to the interaction of the drug in utero with specific binding sites in the fetal brain.

Prenatal psychology is able to shed light on various experiences which appear to be creative mechanisms for coping with difficult situations of transition in life but which on closer inspection also seem to be re-enactments of pre-birth feelings and of birth itself. The symbolism of regression to the womb and of rebirth can be found in various cultural phenomena such as puberty rites, shamanism, the myths of great heroes, fairy tales, sacrificial rituals and initiation fights.

The loss experienced by parents following the perinatal death of a twin is often underestimated by other people and the particular problems are rarely appreciated. A Bereavement Clinic for multiple birth families provides the opportunity to discuss concerns such as incomplete information, lack of a memorial, anger, the fantasy twin, the response to the surviving child and zygosity determination. An informal lunch allows families to meet and share their experiences with other bereaved families.

This paper discusses the implications of a research project that was reported elsewhere. Here the issue of empowerment and disempowerment of women during hospital births is discussed. The author takes the view that birthing technology can be used to both ends, but is usually used in disempowering ways.

The perinatal opioid syndrome has been recognized for over a century. Examination of this phenomena has revealed no pathognomonic symptoms, but rather a constellation of somatic and neurobiological deficits that may continue into adulthood. Research in this area has found that exogenous opioids such as heroin and methadone interact with opioid receptors and influence development. Moreover, a fundamental and important observation shows that endogenous opioid peptides, the counterpart to exogenous opioids, normally modulate developmental events.

This study examined the frequency of disruptions in maternal-infant bonding within a pediatric asthma population. Two groups, 30 mothers of asthmatic children and 30 mothers of well children, were interviewed through the Maternal Infant Bonding Survey (M.I.B.S.) to study the frequency of non-bonding events in the birth histories of their children. Raters determined that 86% of the asthmatic children were non-bonded as compared to 26% of the well children.

As we become more familiar with the continuum of disturbances that are understood as Borderline Personality Disorder, we have come to know more about how the illness affects-and is affected by-other family members. Much less clear is our understanding of what can be expected in the life course of a person reared by a borderline parent. This paper offers a glimpse of that world, by way of reporting on the extreme anxiety and depression experienced by four women-each of whom appears to have been the child of a borderline mother-upon the birth of their babies.

Perinatal factors were used to predict childhood emotional/behavioral disturbance using a discriminant analysis. A cross validation procedure was employed showing that 20 of 26 factors studied contributed to the separation between groups at clinical levels of accuracy. Frequencies, percentages, and relative risk factors were calculated for each perinatal factor and for the discriminant function. Results were used to argue to a multivariate approach in the examination of a relationship between perinatal events and development of emotional/behavioral disorders in children and adolescents.

Parents have a confusing variety of emotional reactions to the stress of a high-risk birth. Terror, grief, impotence, and anger are common feelings for these parents. Some of these reactions bring families closer together; at other times these emotions pull spouses apart. It is essential to recognize that even though these emotions are very troubling, they are normal experiences during a life-and-death crisis.